Masquerade
by Dorkfishe97
Summary: With a party in full swing, what's a brooding Sesshomaru got to do? Sure, he could stand there and glare at all the guests, but where's the fun in that when he catches sight of a certain raven-haired beauty? Rated T because I think InuYasha might have a potty mouth. Better safe than sorry!


**Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, however, as far as I'm concerned, this story is mine and I would like to keep it that way.**

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The masquerade was in full swing and the crowds of laughing and dancing people couldn't be happier. With their identities hidden behind their masks, the party-goers all had a sense of freedom. Everyone was having a great time, well, everyone except for Sesshomaru that is. He was miserable.

A woman in a bright orange gown and matching mask swished a little too close to him and he growled. Fear laced her scent and she quickly backed away. This entire party had been his stupid half-brother's idea and he would rather be anywhere else on the earth. The only problem was that InuYasha had decided to throw the party in Sesshomaru's mansion.

The person in question came up to Sesshomaru and punched his shoulder playfully. Sesshomaru glared at his half-brother, trying to convey all of his anger.

"You will refrain from touching me again, half-breed," Sesshomaru growled. If it wasn't for all the people dancing around him, Sesshomaru would have put his hand through InuYasha's gut.

"Testy, testy! If I didn't know you any better, I would say that you weren't enjoying yourself!"

"I am not enjoying myself," Sesshomaru deadpanned.

"You need to let loose for once and go enjoy yourself! Go talk to people; mingle! Here wear this," InuYasha said, thrusting a red and blue mask at him. Sesshomaru took it and melted it in his hands. He went back to sulking against the banister he had been leaning on. InuYasha rolled his eyes and walked away, knowing that he wasn't going to dislodge the ice cycle from Sesshomaru's butt anytime soon.

The festivities went on, and Sesshomaru continued to glare at anyone that got too close to him. Several times women would come up to him, and once again, he would scare them away. It was nearing midnight when a new excitement rippled through the crowd. There was a new guest!

Sesshomaru wasn't interested in this newcomer, but it seemed that everyone else was. Excited whispers went through the crowd, and Sesshomaru's sensitive hearing picked all of it up. Apparently this woman was a goddess; Sesshomaru already hated her.

Around twelve thirty, something caught Sesshomaru's eye. It was a woman clad in an emerald gown and matching mask. Her raven black hair cascaded down her back in a mass of crazy curls and ended by her small waist. She turned towards him while dancing and he saw her brilliant smile and the bluest eyes he had ever seen. Then, just like all the other dancers, he was under her spell.

He watched her for a while as she danced with the people at the party. She moved gracefully and you could tell from the way she smiled that she was having fun. She danced with anyone that asked, never turning anyone away. Not even InuYasha. Sesshomaru choose that moment to step in. This woman should not be subjected to InuYasha's brashness.

"May I step in?" he asked, raising an eyebrow and daring InuYasha to defy him. The woman, who had been smiling and laughing with InuYasha, looked up at Sesshomaru with startled blue eyes.

"Is this your brother?" she asked, turning back to InuYasha. She had a soft, honey sweet voice, and the look she gave InuYasha was one of utter trust. He hated his brother even more.

"Unfortunately it is. Kagome, you don't have to dance with him if you don't want to. After all, he is a jerk."

"It's okay, we can talk later, Yasha," she said, patting his arm. She looked at Sesshomaru and held her arm out. "Shall we?" she asked. Sesshomaru took her extended arm, and then they were off.

"I assume that you know my brother?" Sesshomaru asked her.

"Yea, InuYasha and I go way back. We have been friends since we were in high school," she smiled. "I knew that he had a brother that was older, but we've never met. He always made you out to be an old man," she laughed. "The only thing is you can't be that much older than us, well at least in human appearance."

"I am three hundred years older than InuYasha," Sesshomaru stated, seeing what this perplexing woman's reaction would be. He pulled her closer as they danced, but she wasn't fazed.

"Well, you don't look a day over twenty-five. I'd say that you are in great shape," she laughed.

"So you are well versed in the ways of demons? Most people tend to shy away from our existence, but you embrace that? Why is that?" Sesshomaru asked as he spun her around as they danced.

"Well, my family owns a shrine and I've always grown up around tales of demons. People and demons alike always came to our shrine to pray and ask for blessings. Demons have always fascinated me."

"Don't you fear us?" he asked. This woman really was some strange human.

Kagome laughed. "Over the years, InuYasha has asked me the same question. The answer is no, I don't fear demons any more than I fear humans."

"Hn."

"It helps that I'm a miko. Demons tend to stay away from me. You and InuYasha are the exceptions."

"I would have never known," Sesshomaru leaned. Then he sensed it: the power that was silently coursing under her skin. He marveled at the young woman's powers. They matched his own in strength; that was something that he didn't acknowledge very often, if ever.

"So you were friends for so long and InuYasha didn't introduce us? He must have been afraid that I would steal a great beauty like you away." Kagome blushed and smiled.

"You're just saying that."

"This Sesshomaru doesn't say what he does not mean." Few more words were exchanged between the two. They spent the rest of the night dancing. Neither of the two noticed when InuYasha looked over at them and smiled.

"My work here is done," he said, as he left, leaving them alone in the mansion.

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A/N: Hello my readers! I know that I should be working on my other stories, but I couldn't help but post this little baby I found in my computer. I was going to post this on here a long time ago, after I posted it on Dokuga, but I forgot. I just wanted to give you all a little present/apology for making you wait so long for my updates. Now that I've uploaded it, I'm going to go work on something else.

Review and tell me what you think of it! Also, go check out the poll on my profile or read some of my other stories!


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